"As graduation requirements were strengthened, high school dropout rates increased across the whole population,” Plunk said. “But African-Americans and Hispanics were especially affected. I think our findings highlight the need to anticipate there may be unintended consequences, especially when there are broad mandates that, in effect, make high school coursework harder.”

Kids who aren't as bright ought to be able to learn lower level high school diplomas that indicate they at least mastered some easier material. Not everyone is college material. The American Left is doing serious harm to usefulness of education for the left side of the IQ Bell Curve. The American Left is even doing serious harm to the educations of those between 100 and 115 IQ. They need vocational training too.

The researchers looked at student outcomes in 44 states where more stringent graduation requirements went into effect during the 1980s and 1990s. They used the data to examine how factors such as sex, race, ethnicity and moving from state to state, together with the tougher requirements, influenced educational attainment.

Among Hispanic males, the dropout rate increased 2.5 percentage points, and among African-American males, the rate rose by 2 points. The overall dropout rate for African-American males was 19 percent on average. But for young African-American males who went to schools in states with the most stringent math and science graduation requirements, the dropout rate rose to 23 percent.

If there isn't a lively cultural and educational system which is geared toward encouraging creative exploration, independence of thought, willingness to cross frontiers, challenge accepted beliefs.

The first kind of education is related to the Enlightenment - highest goal in life to inquire and create; search the riches of the past; try to internalize ; carry the quest --- help people how to learn on their own; it's you the learner; it's up to you what you will master.

The second kind of education is related to Indoctrination - from childhood young people have to be placed into a framework where they will follow orders that are quite explicit. Schools and universities had to increase measures toward more control; imposing more debt to capture students into conformity.

The fundamental problem is that a majority of blacks and Hispanics have IQ's too low for them to be able to benefit from Willy's system. About one-sixth of whites can't benefit either, for the same reason. All told, low IQ people (i.e.,

All told, low IQ people (i.e., less than 85) comprise about 40% of the total US population and a substantial majority of the public school students. The problem is to devise an educational program that allows these people to become self-sustaining, productive adults. Willy's ideal reduces these people to lives of dependency and crime.

If one assumes a normal distribution, an average US IQ of 100 and a standard deviation of 15 then about 16% of the US population wuold have IQ's below 85. About 5% have IQ's below 75. An IQ of 75 is the level below which according to Linda Gottfredson the chances of legitimate emplyment in the US economy is essentially zero.
She gives 115 as basically the minimum IQ for professional or similar occupations. These people also comprise about 16% of the US population. If the average US IQ declines 5 points due to demographic changes over the next 50 years there will be a "double whammy". The proportion of the population capable of high-level work will fall from 16% to 9% of the population. The pathological under-class will increase for 5% to 9% of the population. Continuing relative decline for low-skill labor may make the impact of these demographic changes even worst.

For example if technological advances in automation result in raising the IQ threshold for employment in the US from 75 to 80 and the average IQ of the US population drops from 100 to 95 ( which is still substantially higher than the present average world IQ of about 90) then the unemployable underclass will soar to 16%.

These are crude estimates. Asians and other races such as mixed probably add another 1%. So conservatively, whites are at least 80% of the population with an IQ of 115+. About 1 in 15 NAMs have an IQ of 115+, and they are 30% of our total population. I do believe we do not have a high enough percentage of skilled workers, and inequality will continue grow. The middle class will bear alot of this burden.

Let's keep in mind that minorities are now 50% of the newborn children, so the overall percentage of 115+ IQ may drop, unless there are some policy changes.

"The problem is to devise an educational program that allows these people to become self-sustaining, productive adults."

If education is subordinated to a particular pragamatic purpose like bob skyes proposes, then it ceases to be education. We'd need to call it something else, like "training" or "work enabling program".

Education is something far more important than just a practical tool for self-sustaining. Education must never be subordinated to a purpose or institution, even if it is the most sacred institution in a particular epoc. Education should question them all and put them to the test, just like it's done with engines, weapons or airplane wings.

"The problem is to devise an educational program that allows these people to become self-sustaining, productive adults."

If education is subordinated to a particular pragamatic purpose like bob skyes proposes, then it ceases to be education. We'd need to call it something else, like "training" or "work enabling program".

Education is something far more important than just a practical tool for self-sustaining. Education must never be subordinated to a purpose or institution, even if it is the most sacred institution in a particular epoc. Education should question them all and put them to the test, just like it's done with engines, weapons or airplane wings.

People are more than just "productive adults". Producing is only a very small part of the human potential and one which does not always requires education. Machines can do that and it is more desirable than they do it for us.